Lithium hydride (LiH) is a useful material. It reacts with water to produce hydrogen gas and lithium hydroxide. Although this is a violent reaction, it was used in World War II to provide a lightweight source of hydrogen to inflate signaling balloons. In addition to various applications that require the production of hydrogen, there are many applications that require high purity lithium and many applications that require the production of high purity lithium hydride. Standard methods for production of high purity lithium and high purity lithium hydride are generally expensive. What are needed therefore are safer and more economical means for using lithium hydride to produce hydrogen, and better means for producing high purity lithium and high purity lithium hydride.